Paris Masters

The Paris Masters is an ATP tournament held annually in - as the name suggests - Paris, France. Usually the last event on the calendar tour before the season-capping ATP Finals, in 1989, it was promoted to the Grand Prix Tour, alternately known as the Grand Prix Super Series. The highly sought-after affair was previously known as the Paris Open before the Tennis Masters Series replaced the ATP Super 9 in 2000.

Interestingly enough, it is also known as the Paris Indoor event. Why? Well, the other major tennis event in Paris is, of course, the French Open, held on outdoor clay courts at Stade Roland Garros. In contrast, the Paris Masters is the only Masters 1000 tournament staged indoors since 2009. The tournament has seen a host of legends participate over the years. This time, the young Dane Holger Rune will step into the tournament as the defending champion and will aim to beat all the competition on his way to the finals once again.

How to qualify for the Paris Masters?

Qualifying for the tournament follows the same procedure as qualifying for other Masters tournaments in the ATP Tour Masters 1000. Rankings can help the players enter the main draw or the qualifying rounds.

via Reuters

The Paris Masters usually has two qualifying rounds, which can also allow players to enter the main draw of the tournament.

Paris Masters prize money

Singles Prize Money Breakdown

2022Prize Money 
Winner$880,765
Runner-up$480,971
Semifinal$263,001
Quarterfinal$143,458
Round 3$76,734
Round 2$41,144
Round 1$22,799

Prize Money History

YearTotal Prize Money% Change
2023$6,086,217.696.3%
2022$5,702,968.27107.99%
2021$2,741,956.47-17.37%
2020$3,318,470.80-39.49%
2019$5,483,918.216.88%
2018$5,130,813.7814.00%
2017$4,500,712.4514.00%
2016$3,947,992.9214.00%
2015$3,463,15014.00%
2014$3,037,8519.00%
2013$2,787,0239.00%
2012$2,556,9009.00%
2011$2,345,7800.00%
2010$2,345,7800.00%
2009$2,345,7808.29%
2008$2,166,226-6.50%
2007$2,316,8200.00%
2006$2,316,820

Paris Masters points distribution

StagesPoints
Winner1000 points
Finalist600 points
Semi-finalists360 points
Quarter-finalists180 points
3rd round90 points
2nd round45 points
1st round10 points

Paris Masters format

The format of the tournament is the same as all Masters tournaments in the ATP Tour. First, the qualifiers will take place, which will help the players enter the main draw. The main draw itself begins on 30th October, commencing the first round. It will continue on 31st October, with the second round beginning then as well. 1st November will conclude the second round.

via Imago

The third round will be played on 2nd November, with the quarterfinal following on 3rd November. 4th November will see the semifinal being started off, with the final concluding the tournament on 5th November.

Paris Masters winners list: Past 15 years

Singles

2007David Nalbandian
2008Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
2009Novak Djokovic
2010Robin Söderling
2011Roger Federer
2012David Ferrer
2013Novak Djokovic
2014Novak Djokovic
2015Novak Djokovic
2016Andy Murray
2017Jack Sock
2018Karen Khachanov
2019Novak Djokovic
2020Daniil Medvedev
2021Novak Djokovic
2022Holger Rune

Doubles

2007Bob Bryan

Mike Bryan

2008Jonas Björkman

Kevin Ullyett

2009Daniel Nestor

Nenad Zimonjić

2010Mahesh Bhupathi

Max Mirnyi

2011Rohan Bopanna

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi

2012Mahesh Bhupathi

Rohan Bopanna

2013Bob Bryan

Mike Bryan

2014Bob Bryan

Mike Bryan

2015Ivan Dodig

Marcelo Melo

2016Henri Kontinen

John Peers

2017Łukasz Kubot

Marcelo Melo

2018Marcel Granollers

Rajeev Ram

2019Pierre-Hugues Herbert

Nicolas Mahut

2020Félix Auger-Aliassime

Hubert Hurkacz

2021Tim Pütz

Michael Venus

2022Neil Skupski

Weasley Koolhof

Which tennis pro has won the most Paris Masters titles over the years?

Singles

While players around the world compete in the tournament, most of the singles records are helped by none other than Novak Djokovic. The Serbinator has won the tournament six times and has played in the final eight times. He has also won the championship 3 times consecutively, which also gives him the record for appearing in three consecutive finals.

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This achievement also means that he is the only player to defend his title in the Masters. He has also won the most matches in the Paris Masters at 45, along with most consecutive matches at 17.

Doubles

Bob and Mike Bryan are the duo that has won the Paris Masters four times, putting them at the top. Paul Haarhuis has played in the most number of finals by reaching 6 finals in his stint. Haarhuis, along with Jacco Eltingh, has won the title twice consecutively, tying with Bob and Mike Bryan for the most consecutive wins.

Where is the Paris Masters held?

The Paris Masters venue is top-notch, keeping up with the state-of-the-art standards of the other calendar ATP Masters. Being inspired by the French Covered Court Championships, the tournament is now held at the premium AccorHotels Arena in the Bercy area. However, till 1982, it was contested at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin.

The surface of the tournament used to be one of the fastest in the world, rewarding aggressive attacking tennis styles. But since 2011, it has followed the general slowdown of other tour courts, much to many players' and fans' dismay.

Which players will participate in the Paris Masters 2023?

Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Stefanos TsitsipasAndrey RublevTaylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alexander ZverevAlex de Minaur, Tommy Paul, Frances TiafoeKaren Khachanov, Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Cameron Norrie have all qualified for the Paris Masters. Norrie has the lowest qualifying points of any seeded player, as he is seeded at 16 with 2020 points.

via Reuters

Joining the 2023 Paris Masters players are also Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic is the only player who has defended the title, and he is likely to be the most followed player in the championship. Alcaraz is the player who managed to end Djokovic's Wimbledon streak after beating him in the final. Their presence is sure to elevate the feel of the tournament.

How to watch the Paris Masters 2023?

The Paris Masters can be viewed by tennis fans around the world. For watching in the venue, fans can buy packages from the Paris Masters website. 2-day packages can be bought for $107. They also offer 4-day packages for $230, and 7-day packages can be bought for $472. The qualifiers can also be viewed in the stadium, and their tickets can be purchased for $11.

via Reuters

Additionally, fans can also watch the tournament from the comfort of their home. Tennis TV will stream the tournament for fans who can access the website around the world. Tennis followers in Middle Eastern countries and Australia can tune into beIN Sports. Eurosport will stream it for most of the European countries. Tennis Channel will broadcast it in the USA with Voot and Sports18, streaming it in India.

The Paris Masters will close out the Masters tournament in the ATP Tour. Tennis fans do not want to miss the championship as it will finalize the list of the players who will play in the ATP Finals.

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